You must watch Gravity more than twice!!

Rarely do I go out for movies these days, contrast this to rushing from one film festivals to another across the country. What started as a group soon splintered into individuals. But saw all the great masters and yes some really amazing stuff. The last movie I saw in many years was Avatar, a Hollywood movie. So it came as a surprise that I saw Gravity again the other day, a movie twice in a theatre is truly rare. Gravity is an amazing movie, and I am quite impressed. Though there are some minor problems (NASA points to few) as also I found some dialogues jarring. The worst was English subtitles that took the fun out of the visuals. 3D movies are here to say, it’s an amazing conception. Gravity is a path breaking effort, watching it was a breath taking experience.  

Though I must add people lack civic sense, they are rude and use mobiles quite openly during movies. They cannot even keep it on silent mod. These things, beyond a point, cannot be taught. The younger generation don’t imbibe values from aliens, clearly concern for others is not in Indian family framework. Respect is an important part of civic sense, it means valuing others and their presence. This leads to respecting laws. In the world of entitlements these are minor casualties, I guess. 

The other day I was interacting with someone, I don’t know him –a mere acquaintance. He was asking about what keeps a relation more specifically with children. I am no expert on Human relation though I have taken few HR sessions!! I shrugged and moved on, people don’t excite me that much. Later I caught myself thinking about it. I guess there are three things Trust, Respect and Love…yes that seems it. Love is unconditional as much as trust is implicit in any relation, so is respecting the individuality. Rarely does foundation of any Indian family has any of these, it seems coalesce of needs and urges. Keeping these parameters it’s no wonder why Indians are so deviant, and they are reproducing all the while. 

Hypocrisy, as defined by the liberals, in this context is reluctance to show how the reproduction happens!! And so the mediocre Indian creative community latch on to Americans for references. In this ruse lifestyle aspiration is what is pushed in, and the need for specific products to fulfill these. In Indian context acting or making movies is no big deal, few weeks and anyone can be an actor. The reason why directors are now actors, while actors are singers too, singers are also directors, actors are becoming directors, they are also cricket players, opinion initiators and expert in trivialisation…it is all quite easy, nothing seems impossible. They also bump into new talents in get together and ads; it is matter of coincidence that they are also related to each other or someone they know!!  So much talent is nauseating!! 

I was reading Andre Beteille, he writes “In primitive societies, the relations of production are homogenous. The differentiation and specialisation are mostly based on biological factors such as age and sex, and on kinship. Functional specialisation is based, at the most, on specific skills of certain individuals.” These certain individuals are mostly the technicians and the nearest we come to the intrigue referred to as professionalism and competence. While talent is increasingly attributed to youngisthan, for whatever reason, and hinged on kinship. Way to go ye liberals.              

    

Another 1984 massacre conveniently forgotten

  Bhopal gas tragedy that killed 8,000 within two weeks and caused debilitating injuries to approximately 5.5 lakh people, thousands and thousands of whom died an agonising death, many suffer till date. This massacre also happened in 1984. Congress was ruling the state of MP, and Arjun Singh was the CM. Arjun Singh’s conduct during and aftermath of the tragedy was nothing short of criminal to say the least. Most significantly he allowed Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson to first put up at the state guest house and later was allowed to fly to Delhi on state plane, and then the ‘state guest’ Anderson was allowed to get away from the country with full knowledge of the Union government. It is difficult to even conceive that this could happen. Wonder how much money was exchanged in the process. Subsequently Indian government didn’t seriously pursue this matter, and people suffered. Arjun Singh in the meanwhile brushed up his secularism credentials and continued to play active role in Indian politics without raising an eyebrow!! It is as easy as that. Ideally this scoundrel should have been to taken to custody.

Just four days after the tragedy struck, Arjun Singh made a statement where he seemed to be defending Anderson. Incidentally safety issues concerning Union carbide were raised in state assembly of MP before the tragedy and it was none other than Arjun Singh who assured everyone that it was quite alright, reportedly saying that he himself had been to the factory. Did the then chief minister actually check whether Union Carbide was following the best practices before handing out a certificate?

 “As it happens Union Carbide had similar plants in France and in Germany as it did in India. In Bhopal the dangerous chemical agent was stored in a single giant tank. In France it was kept in smaller, individual cylinders. And in Germany it was ensured that the chemicals in question could not be stored in such proximity at all, whether in one huge chamber or in multiple containers. How many lives might have been saved had either the French or the German example been followed?” (TVR Shenoy in an article in 2010)

 The main perpetrators of Sikh genocide of 1984 were never prosecuted and remarkably this tragedy would have lost its significance had not 2002 Gujarat riots happened. 1984 is not only about Sikh genocide it’s also the year that should question the culpability of leaders in their role in Bhopal tragedy.

An utterly confident and haughty Warren Anderson said this to Indian media before leaving "House arrest or no arrest or bail, no bail, I am free to go home...There is a law of the United States...India, bye, bye, Thank you."

That is about Indian system bending over back to let a person, who was responsible for worst tragedy of its kind, get away. Nowhere else in the world this would happen, his haughtiness points to the pits it had sunk. The colonial gift to India the “steel frame” as malleable as ever bends only for the powerful, it’s clear the culprit was allowed to escape from the orders of powerful people. Wonders of world’s largest democracy.   

(due to some reason I was finding it difficult to upload pictures into this blog, it took me about an hour…Crude Woman and ZK Bazz must be busy!! Sudharja budiya)

Reform without equity is dangerous

If the structure isn’t based on equality or equal opportunity then reform, that is, more autonomy and power, will be counterproductive. I was watching Satyamev Jayate the other day; it gives a new perspective on the entire idea of reforms. The hue and cry over police reform has to be put in context to whether the structure in itself equitable or not. In India these critical functionaries like Police or Civil servants or Army have different points of entry for the recruits and thus creates inequity and attitude of discrimination, it quite easily falls into temple squatter’s framework that Indians wallow in, as they like hierarchy wherein they should feel entitled. Even in Britain the system is attuned to fairness and competence, everybody should starts at the same level. We have carried on the colonial British system assiduously, since it serves the purpose of a section. We are been taught in school that the reason why India ‘survived’ after independence is because of the “steel structure” i.e. bureaucracy.  This is the nonsense that is fed to children.

Almost all of India’s major problem is because of ineffective and self-serving bureaucracy, this was worst during 1950s to 80s, wherein the closed system thrived hand in with feudal politicians. The reason why the focus was not on social development like education or health, indeed there are enough evidence to show that they actively connived to keep Indians illiterate. India’s skewed ‘development’ got further detrimental for majority of people after the ‘reforms’ in 1990s since it only perpetuated inequity.

When institutions like Judiciary, Media, Sports body, Market etc. demand complete freedom and autonomy in functioning, it is to be no doubt welcomed, because they should function without any influence or interference. This maybe true anywhere else in the world but in Indian context it has to be scrutinised very closely, we have a culture that thrive on perpetuating system that uses its power/influence to create misery. This framework is very much alive as temple squatters have spread out to lucrative pastures. This framework is sought to be replicated. So the media will furiously defend its turf in the name of freedom of expression without being responsible at all. It’s a mean to suck up money, media freedom is just an alibi. The Judiciary will be most incompetent but they will be very much alive on any hint of contempt. The same that happened in temples all over Indian subcontinent over thousands of years, where being responsible and moral was none of concerns while accruing wealth and giving misery was normal. You look at the way BCCI works out billions of rupees from thin air with bunch of amazingly mediocre players in a country where substantial sections are amazingly poor. It’s just amazing!! Ditto when majority of people suffered, faced untold misery and discrimination over the centuries the temples were opulent, not by default squatters too. While they connived to give godly status to rulers, their concerns included whether U shaped design was better than Y shaped on the forehead, these were serious philosophical discussions. It is the same tradition that political party spokespersons carry on, as they shout down each other with inanities, this traditional quality is the reason why they are appointed for same!  The vaadh samvaad parampara of the dimwits, no wonder with few exceptions Indian philosophy is absolute garbage or at the most common sense if not expressions of mediocrity, in the context of social reality it becomes an elaborate joke. It is in protest that Indian philosophy truly finds its bearings and roots whether through Budha or Kabir or Guru Nanak…the saints and seers over the ages who despite temple squatter’s mischiefs and threats attempted an egalitarian base. But these brilliant attempts were weakened due to vice like grip of the vicious as it played on people’s insecurities. They even have shlokas on anything and everything, indeed speaking in Sanskrit itself is sacred!! Culture lafangas generally start their speech with these to establish their scholarly pedigree. When it comes to India all these egalitarian values and institutions including its mahatmas, should be carefully scrutinised, they tend to sneak in with a bit of cleverness. 

The other day I was reading an article wherein the fellow with feudal reference was saying that he found visiting his friends in Pakistan like going to his own home, they could ‘completely understand him than people in small towns of India’. So our man had flash of enlightenment “if we are the same why this fighting over borders…”. I am not surprised feudals everywhere are the same and they wonderfully get along well, as much as Indian media celebrates birth in British royal family or their coquettish fancies. To mistake it as open mindedness and liberal is where we fault and they sashay as saviours and upholders of values. It is a trick temple squatters have perfected over the years and created it as aspirational framework for common people: To look beyond and be absolutely unconcerned about immediate misery created and perpetuated. Market has morphed it as choice, while for media it is news and it seems our freedom is hinged on it.   

Slurping the hugging saint

Mata Amritanandamayi (also Amma) is quite popular and is sometimes referred to as hugging saint for her penchant for hugging people. It is firmly held that some mystical energy transfer happens during this brief bodily engagement. It may be true or not is not my concern, I haven’t met her though I have listened to her few times and didn’t find anything remarkably stirring in her utterings, maybe because her reference is Bhakti. She comes out as benevolent person without any malice against anyone. That she being a woman, that too from the lowest section of the society in a frigid and uninspiring consumerist Kerala, has risen to this level is undoubtedly remarkable. She has over the years used her position to improve the lots of the downtrodden and the needy. Her followers cross the boundaries of religions and regions. She has been quite a positive presence over the years.

But in the last decade or so her name has become some kind of a brand, and is being furiously promoted. Well I don’t have problems with that too since the colleges (and hospitals) running under her name do give preference to talented candidates from economically and socially weaker sections, and the standard of the colleges are also relatively good. It though need to be pointed out that they deal with market friendly courses, which surely has money. Why isn't the concern Humanities or Art or other important but precarious studies that find difficult to sustain in market assault. Why is Amritha so market conscious? It seems Mata Amritanandamayi is a front for big money greed. 

My problem is also with the TV channel (goes by the name of Amritha TV) that is like any other crass channel on offer. Indian TV channels, with very rare instances, are muck that comes in different languages. It’s crude and meant as interludes between ads to sell all kind of crap. Amritha TV isn’t different whether in terms of exploiting children or providing space for regressive mindset, as also presenting platform for consumerism of the worst kind (there is huge stampede in India because of population). Amritha TV doesn’t challenge or provide any alternative worldview nor attempts to bear any standards on these matters. However I do recall some year’s back one program that attracted my attention from this channel was one where candidates made newsbites/reports which were evaluated by senior journalists for its skill and intent. Quite interesting that one, probably one of the very few Indian TV programs worth mentioning in this nation of more than a billion that thrive on mediocrity all the while hounded by cheap sellers. Mediocre Indian film industry (in all languages) sneaks everywhere, the one past the expiry dates (in terms of popularity) or probably not suited for anything at all are judges, some are presenters others have even start to venture into wildlife channels, while some are interviewed for their personal lives others liven us with their opinion on serious issues. It’s amazing Indians lack of standards on any matter. India’s contribution to National Geography is documentary on Champu or recently IPL!! Professionalism or even hint of calibre is no concern; it’s about having good time and buy some detergent or cola. We should be proud to be able to watch “America’s best with Americans”. Gawk at American funny home videos while India’s talents (I am told even the culture) decided by sellers who invade and barge us to fault and spent. We have children gyrate on adult songs where as adults behave like buffoons, all for entertainment so that some products get sold or atleast the black money is converted.  What a mediocre society is this? Then there are small time spiritual gurus who work to assuage our conscience and make us pliable to the market. Discrimination or exploitation is none of their concern, they have packaged temple squatters traditions to the need of the market. Mediocre India seeks its redemption through sellers.    

Mata Amritanandamayi should be ashamed of herself for being conduit to this exploitation and promoting crassness in the name of entertainment. Her name is being used to suck profit in a very wrong away (which is quite normal here, extending liquor time by few hours in Bangalore is how freedom gets defined!! The Market media is in celebratory mode, so are the journalists! So much is the hold of money bags and black money). The progressive gains over the decades are being undermined and crude nature of society is being promoted. Is Mata Amritanandamayi here to endorse gold jewellery? I am sure she is aware of the regressive mindset associated however liberal or emancipation pitch is given to the sell. Either she should refrain from these and forbid her name being used or convert her channel as qualitatively different from regular, and bring concern about context and excellence, both these unfortunately missing in this TV channel. But then why should we complain it’s quite normal for Indians who thrive on mediocrity.